[doc1019]

Turn this monstrosity over to the private secure and I would make a profit within five years ... that is if you could find any takers.

[Tenacious 1]

Turn this monstrosity over to the private secure and I would make a profit within five years ... that is if you could find any takers.

The one plan no politician has ever considered. They would have to "give" all the assets to an entity and then fund the losses for a period of 3 years just to peak some interest. All the pensions would have to be maintained by the government as grandfathered clauses with new workers, under new management being structured differently. The union would have to go.

But I think it could be done.

[piytar]

Sell it and all its infrastructure for $1. The government would stop losing money, and in 3 years, and competent business person would make money.

Heck, I’m going to offer that $1. No joke.

[Olog-hai]

Only if the remaining property taxes and the onerous Federal Railroad Administration regulations were repealed (and the predecessor ICC had quite onerous regulations itself). The FRA and ICC were responsible for slowing down the speed of passenger trains to uncompetitive levels (ever ask yourself why the Northeast Corridor is the only railroad artery that allows speeds of 125 mph?—all due to DC politics . . . the majority of the rest are capped by law at 79 mph due to regulations on track “classes”, signaling requirements, and even crashworthiness requirements on passenger locomotives and cars).

There are still private railroads out there, but thanks to DC, they won’t touch passenger rail with a ten-foot pole anymore. Thanks to liberal politics, there are only five Class 1 private railroads, too, where even back in 1978 there were at least 17.

[Raymann]

If that company is required to operate under the same rules as Amtrak no it won’t. It would be forced to maintain unprofitable cross country routes and regional lines partially subsidized by the states in addition to handling the railroad retirement (rail workers version of SS) for all rail workers.